"Nothing in particular," I said.
"Very well, it is time the doctor looked after that," she cried. "It really never will do to let you run down in this way. Let me look at baby. Why, my child, his gums need lancing."
"So I have told Ernest half a dozen times," I declared. "But he is always in a hurry, and says another time will do."
"I hope baby won't have convulsions while he is waiting for that other time," said Aunty, looking almost savagely at Martha. I never saw Aunty so nearly out of humor.
At dinner Martha began.
"I think, brother, the baby needs attention. Mrs. Crofton has been here and says so. And she seems to find Katherine run down. I am sure if I had known it I should have taken her in hand and built her up. But she did not complain."
"She never complains," father here put in, calling all the blood I had into my face, my heart so leaped for joy at his kind word.
Ernest looked at me and caught the illumination of my face.
"You look well, dear," he said. "But if you do not feel so you ought to tell us. As to baby, I will attend to him directly."
So Martha's one word prevailed where my twenty fell to the ground.